


'cause all roads lead to where she stands

by papyrocrat



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-20
Updated: 2012-12-20
Packaged: 2017-11-21 16:56:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/600028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/papyrocrat/pseuds/papyrocrat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bela makes one last deal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	'cause all roads lead to where she stands

**Author's Note:**

>   for the Free Space squareon my [](http://spnpairingbingo.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://spnpairingbingo.livejournal.com/)**spnpairingbingo** card. Title from "Crossroads" by Don McLane

Her hand shakes as she hangs up the phone. No one to pretend for now, she thinks over the hellhounds baying at the door, and the Colt is only good to her for one more thing.

“Not quite, sweetheart.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m Crowley. No, boys, _sit_.”

And amazingly, the hellhounds pause.

Bela won’t let herself hope. She won’t.

“I can’t break your contract. For what it’s worth, I am sorry, love.”

“It’s worth _nothing_ ,” she bites out.

“I thought as much. Fortunately, I have a few more bargaining chips.”

She decides to keep him talking. Draw this out as long as she can. Because when he gets bored…”Out of the goodness of your heart, I presume?”

Crowley smirks. “No. For that bang-stick in your hands.”

“Right.” She cocks the trigger.

“Let’s do this like civilized demons, shall we?” She flinches at that. “Sorry, Bela. But I think smoothing over your transition is in our…mutual interest.”

She’s on familiar ground now, and she can tell, so is he. She releases the trigger, takes off her jacket, and follows him to the dirty table in the last room she’ll ever see. He’s pulled out a bottle and two glasses. “Hundred and fifty year old Ardbeg,” he boasts, and her eyes widen slightly. “See, that’s why you interest me, Bela. You know the value of _things_.”

He slides over a glass. She lifts it to her mouth, and then pauses. Crowley shakes his head. “Nothing to lose now, darling.” She toasts him archly and takes a sip; clings the handle of the Colt tighter under the table. Crowley takes a larger swallow, and Bela drains her glass. What the hell, right?

So to speak.

Crowley refills their glasses. “I’m assuming you haven’t given much thought to your future.” She’s tried not to, really, but her subconscious is unforgiving when she sleeps. “Yes, of course, it’s a difficult transition for us all. But after that.”

“ _After_ that?” There’s an “after” hell?

“Yes, once you’ve passed your demon A-levels and all. Plenty of work to do, to keep the whole Hell enterprise up and running.”

“You’re recruiting me?”

“Worse gigs than a crossroads demon. Plenty of time topside, management expects you to skim a little off the top now and then, and of course the romantic perks. If you’re into that sort of thing.”

Bela takes a long sip. “And you can guarantee this because….”

“I _am_ management.”

“I thought Lilith held all the contracts.”

“She does. I run the sales department. I don’t get any souls myself, per se. We don’t trade anything of our own, at least not with humans, and we don’t get anything of our own. Except the aforementioned petty extortion and embezzlement. And I’m always looking for someone like you. Someone who knows what things are worth to those who need them.”

If Bela were the sentimental type, she’d think of how Lilith had known that fine; had known better than Abby herself about stock portfolios and Swiss bank accounts and how a welcome kiss could taste like cherry vanilla and relief.

“What do you get out of it?”

“Your talents, in perpetuity. And the Colt.”

He must really want this gun. “How do I know this is a real deal, and you’ll keep your end of it?”

Crowley pulls out a glass vial and a needle. “Sodium pentobarbital. And a decent burial. You don’t have to endure the hellhounds.”

Her heart pounds, trying to count out decades in moments. She puts the gun on the table, keeps her hand on it as she leans over and catches his lips. He tastes like whiskey, and so does she. She breaks away only after she feels the pinch in her neck.  


Bela opens her eyes and screams.


End file.
